Explanation of Digital Signatures

Using public key cryptography, it is possible to digitally "sign" a piece of information. Signing information essentially means assuring a recipient of the information that the information hasn't been tampered with since it left your hands.

To sign a piece of information, first compute a mathematical hash of the information. (A hash is a condensed version of the information. The algorithm used to compute this hash must be known to the recipient of the information, but it isn't a secret.) Using your private key, encrypt the hash, and attach it to the message. Make sure that the recipient has your public key.

To verify that your signed message is authentic, the recipient of the message will compute the hash of the message using the same hashing algorithm you used, and will then decrypt the encrypted hash that you attached to the message. If the newly-computed hash and the decrypted hash match, then it proves that you signed the message and that the message has not been changed since you signed it.